1911J Taylor: Mammals of the 1909 Nevada Expedition. 249 



there any nests in the immediate vicinity. The species evidently 

 prefers rocky situations. 



Signs of wood rats were observed in several places in the foot- 

 hills of the Pine Forest Mountains near Big Creek Ranch. What 

 was apparently an occupied nest was found built along the side 

 and on top of a large cracked rock in the side of a small ravine 

 a hundred feet above the desert flat. Burro and cow-dung, and 

 dead sage branches were incorporated into the structure. The 

 nest proper was made of fine dry grasses. Fresh scatological 

 material was seen, but none of the animals could be frightened 

 out. A nest discovered near Quinn River Crossing was built to a 

 height of three feet in a large dead bush, coarse sticks and cow- 

 dung being used in its construction. Trapping in the vicinity 

 failed to show the presence of any tenants. Several nests built of 

 the usual materials M-ere noted in the outcroppings of igneous 

 rock on a ridge near Alder Creek Ranch. 



Locally the preferences of this wood rat and the golden- 

 mantled ground squirrel seem to be somewhat similar in respect 

 to habitat. Both were caught in rocks on top of a ridge (altitude 

 5000 feet), near Big Creek Ranch. 



Neotoma cinerea occidentalis Baird. 

 "Western Bushy-tailed Wood Rat. 



Status. — The two specimens of bushy-tailed wood rat secured 

 (nos. 7892, 7893) were submitted to Dr. C. Hart JMerriam for 

 identification. He marks them "occidentalis (not typical)," 

 stating that they vary in the direction of Neotoma cinerea cinerea. 



Two specimens of cinerea are in the Museum collection, no. 

 3743, adult male, collected by Frank Stephens at Anthony, Ore- 

 gon, and the other, no. 3328, adult female, collected by A. S. 

 Bunnell on Mount Shasta. The Oregon animal was collected in 

 October. It is darker than the Mount Shasta specimen, secured 

 August 5, and is probably in the winter pelage. The adult 

 Nevada specimen differs from these in that it is paler and is suf- 

 fused with a lighter shade of brownish j^llow on sides and back, 

 and presents a bluer white on the low^er parts. In size it cor- 

 responds fairly well with the average of cinerea as exemplified 

 by the two specimens at hand. 



